Boiler blower



June 10 v1924.

E. c. HAFER Berman LowsR Filed April 24;

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Patented June 1G, 1924.

EDWARD C. HAFER, OF CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO JAMES A. HAFEB, OF CHAMBERSBURG', PENNSYLVANIA.

BOILER BLOWER.

Application led April 24, 1919.

T all whom imag concern.'

.Be it known that I, EDWARD C. HAFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Franklin and State 'of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler Blowers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to boiler blowers particularly adapted for' cleaning the flues of a fire tube boiler of the horizontal type, and has for an object to provide an improved and efficient blower adapted to sweep across the open ends of a plurality of the tubes and which is capable of movement for selectively supplying fluid under pressure into desired groups o-f the tubes.

Another object is to provide a boiler blower of this type which is capable of adjustment toward and from the adjacent ends of the boiler tubes for varying the area over which the fluid under pressure strikes the tubes for the purpose of concentrating the fluid under pressure into desired tubes and for varying the effective pressure of the blower against the tubes.

A further object is to provide a boiler blower which is capable of manual adjustment and operation for sweeping the vdesired tubes or area of the ytubes at the adjacent end of the boiler.

With these and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fire tube boiler mounted in a furnace and showing the application of the present p-referred embodiment of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a front end elevationof the boiler and furnace showing the boiler blower attached thereto and illustrating in dotted lines several positions into which the nozzle arm may be swung. n i

Figure 3 is a detail, enlarged, vertical section taken through the adjustable bearing Serial No. 292,440.

and journal on substantially the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken vthrough 'the same substantially on the line 1-41 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10 designates a 'fire tube boiler of the horizontal type having the usual steam dome 11 and mounted in a furnacey 12. The furnace is provided with a front wall 13 adapted to support the flue blower of this invention, and is provided in the usual manner with the front doors 14, admitting access to the front of the boiler.

The front wall 13 .carries a transverse b-ar or brace 15 preferably of angle iron construction secured at opposite ends against the inner side of the front wall 13 and extending across the door opening thereof at a ypoint slightly below the longitudinal axis of the boiler 10. A guide plate 16 is mounted upon the intermediate portion of the brace 15 and extends inwardly toward the boiler 10, and has a dove tail recess or way 17 in its upper face extending longitudinally of the plate 16 and adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped tongue 18 depending from a bearing block 19. The bearing block L19 is of any suitable configuration and is adapted to slide longitudinally over the upper face of the plate 16, the block 19 being provided with a rod 20 which extends forwardly through the front wall 13 and is pivoted to the lower end of a hand lever 21. The hand lever 21 has, intermediate its ends, a longitudinal slot 22 thro-ugh which'projects a pivot pin 23 carried upon the forward end of a supporting rod 24. The pin 23 is/adapted to pivotally support the lever 21 and the-slot 22 admits of longitudinal shifting 'of the lever 21 as the latter is moved into various positions ofv adjustment for sliding the block 19 toward and from the front of the boiler 10. A segment 25 is supported upon the front wall 13 and is adapted to be traversed by the lever 21, a locking dog 26 being employed for securing the lever 21 in its various adjusted positions. The rod 24 is threaded at its inner end and passes through the lfront wall 13, and is providedat opposite sides of the front wall with lock nuts 27 adapted to hold the rod 24.- rigid,

As may be best seen from Figures 3 and 4, the block 19 is provided with a longitudinal axial opening 28 for receiving` a hollow ournal 29 held from shifting longitudinally from the bloclr 19 by stop collars 30 and 31 held in place by set screws or the like. rlhe collar 31 has a closed end wall and supports a shaft 32 which .is co-aXial with the hollow journal 29 and secured thereto for rotating the same. rJlhe shaft 32 projects 'forwardly through the wall 13 and is provided with a sprocket wheel over which is trained an endless chain 34 adapted to be suspended on the sprocket wheel and to be operated manually for turning the hollow joliufnal 29. The block 19 is provided, intermediate its ends, with an enlarged annular groove or recess 35 adapted to register at all times with al series of ropenings or ports 35 formed in theside walls of the journal29 to establish communication between the interior oit the block 19 and the interior of the journal 29. Preferably, the block 19 is provided on its top with a cap plate 37 having a threaded opening therein communicating with the annular groove 35 and adapted to receive a pipe 38 which rises from the block.

Upon the inner end of the journal 29 is threaded an elbow 39 carrying a radially extending distributing arm 40, tht` cll'iow and the arm having a longitudinal row oft outlet nozzles 41 facing the front end of the boiler 10. The arm 40 is hollow and capped on its free end and the nozzles 41 communicate with the interior of the arm for spraying the fluid under pressure which is fed into the arm. The arm 40 is adapted to swing with its journal 29 in the block 19, and is or' sullicient length to sweep the entire surface area of boiler tubes at the front or the boiler. In order to facilitate the adjustment of the arm 40 into various positions, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the arm 40 carries a co-aXially extending rod 42 which projects beyond the opposite side ot the journal 29, and carries an adjustable counterbalancing weight 43. The weight 43 may be adjusted upon the rod 42 for counterbalancing the arm and for thus maintaining it in any desired position to swing.

For the purpose of introducing fluid under pressure into the block 19 and the parts connected thereto, the dome 11 of the boiler is tapped with a pipe 44 having` a valve 45 therein close-to the dome 11, and which e3;- tends forwardly over the. furnace 12 to a position beyond the front wall 13. The pipe 44 is carried down in front of thc wall 13 at one side of the door opening, as shown in Figure 2, and is connected by a U-coupling v45 to 'a return pipe 4G which rises 38 which rises from the block 19 is proviced with a second ball and socket coupling 48, and a pipe 49 connects the two ball and socket couplings 47 and 48, and includes an expansion joint admitting of variations in the length of the pipe 49 incident to the shitting ot the bloclr 19 on the supporting plate 16. "he balland socket joints 47 and 48 admit ol" variations in the. angular relation between the pipe 49 and its adjacent pipes 46 and 38.

The lieed pipe 44 is provided near its lower end, and a short distance above the U-coupling, 45, with a hand valve 51 for shutting oil supply ol the fluid under pressure to the pipe 46, and is provided with a drain pipe 52 connected to the pipe 44 immediately above the valve 51 and which leads to the ash-pit of the furnace 12. A hand valve is placed in the pipe 52 near its juncture with the pipe 44. A drain coclr 54 is preierably placed in the bottom of the U-coupling 45 for draining the return pipe 46 after the valve 51 has been closed.

in use, the valve 45 is opened to admit st .ain through the pipe 44, and the valve 51 is opened 'to admit the steam into the pipe 45 and into the bloclr 19. During the operation, the valve is closed as well as the pet cock 54. rllhe steam passing from the pipe 46 is iiorccd through the coupling` 4T, the ansion joint 50. the second coupling 48, and into the bloclr 19. The steam. or other Jluid under pressure, enters the annular groove which constitutes the chainber within the bloclr, and linds access to the hollow ournal 29 through the ports or openings 36. rFliese ports or openings 36 are preferably elongated narrow slots extending lengthwise of the journal and are in sutlicient number to freely admit the fluid under pressure to the journal. rIhe fluid passes through the journal 29 and elbow 39 into the arm 40 and is ejected through the outlet nozzlesl 41 toward the forward ends of the boiler tubes. As shown in Figure 1, -when the block 19 is retracted toward the liront wall 13, the fluid under pressure sprays 'troni the nozzles 41 and strikes the forward end ot' the boiler 10 in a relatively wide surliace area throughout the length of the arm 40 and consequently the force ol the fluid under pressure is dissipated to some extent. This Figure 1 also shows, in dotted lines, the bloclr 19 advanced toward the boiler 10 and shows the relatively small suriiace area of the front of the boiler which is covered by the projected streams of' fluid. Naturally, when the arm 40 is advanced toward the boiler, greater torce of the tluid is projected into the boiler tubes with the desired result olr dislodging mulations thereof such as when rst i `fe' mi lll() 19 at the desired distance from the boiler 'and may be shifted from time to time during the cleaning operation, the hand lever being locked by the dog 26 in adjusted position.

The chain 34 is operated by hand for swinging the arm 40 with its journal 29 to cover the entire surface area of the front of the boiler and to bring the nozzles 41 into the desired positions in front of the boiler tubes. When it is desired, the arm 40 may be maintained stationary at any suitable point of revolution so as to concentrate the fluid under pressure toward and into any desired group of the boiler tubes.

To facilitate the removal of soot and accumulations from the upper part of the boiler shell a branch pipe extends from the main steam pipe 44 preferably in front of the wall 13 of the furnace, and is provided with a hand valve 56 to control passage of fluid under pressure through the pipe 55. The pipe 55 is then carried back through the wall 13 and across the inner side of the wall to a position immediately over the boiler 10. The pipe 55 is provided near the front end of the boiler with a fourway coupling 57 having lateral branches to which distributing arms 58 are connected, the arms 58 being arcuate in form and adapted to lie closely against the boiler shell. Rearwardly projecting nozzles 59 are carried by the branch distributing pipe 58 and the latter extends down to the sides of the boiler. Distributing pipe sections 60` are connected to one another and to the pipe 55 by union couplings 61, and each is provided with the four-way coupling 57 and its branch distributing pipes 58 and nozzles 59. There is thus a spraying device arranged at the forward and rear ends of the boiler and at the intermediate portion thereof, and it is, of course, understood that any desired number of these spraying devices may be employed. The pipe 60- which is located intermediate the ends of the boiler is arcuate or curved laterally to pass around the steam dome 11, as shown in Figure 1. The pipes 55 and 60 are adapted to rest upon the boiler shell and are held in place not only by their couplings but also by the distributing arms or sections 58 which engage the sides of the boiler.

The segment 25 and the post- 24 of the manual control means for advancing and retarding the rotary distributor in front of the boiler are arranged upon one of the front doors 14 and are adapted to be swung away from the boiler when the door is opened after the rod or link 20 has been disengaged from the lower end of the hand lever 21, as shown in Figure 2. The link 2,0 passes between the meeting edges of the doors 14 when the latter are closed and the doors may have notches 62 therein for accommodating the rod or link 20. A detachable pin or any other suitable element may be used to connect the rod 2O with vthe lever 21.

I claim i 1. In a boiler blower, the combination, with a support adapted to be mounted adjacent a boiler, of a reciprocally mounted block carried by said support and movable toward and away from the boiler, a tube swivelled in the block, the block being formed with a groove and the tube with an aperture communicating with the groove, the said swivelled tube having a distributing arm positioned to lie parallel to the adjacent portions of the boiler so as to extend across the tubes thereof, the distributing arm being adapted to swing on the swivel for successively moving across substantially all of the tubes of the boiler, the said arm having discharge nozzles directed toward the boiler, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the groove of the block, a lever for shifting the block to various adjusted positions while leaving the distributing arm free to swing on the swivel, means for locking the lever in such adjusted positions, and means for actuating the distributing arm.

2. In a boiler blower, the combination, with a support adapted to be mounted adj acent a boiler, of a reciprocally mounted block carried by said support and movable toward and away from the boiler, a tube swivelled in the block, the block being formed with a groove and the tube with an aperture communicating with the groove, the said swivelled tube having a distributing arm positioned to lie parallel to thevadjacent portions of the boiler so as to extend across the tubes thereof, the distributing arm being adapted to swing on the swivel for successively moving across substantially all of the tubes of the boiler, the said arm having discharge nozzles directed toward the boiler, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the groove of the block, a locking segment mounted adjacent to and spaced from the mounting of the block support, a lever having a pawl engaging the segment for locking the lever. in various positions, and a link connecting the lever to the block for shifting the block without interfering with the action of the distributing arm.

3. In a boiler blower, the combination with a support adapted to be mounted adj acent a boiler, a reciprocally mounted block carried by said support and movable toward and away from the boiler, the said block having a dove-tail joint with said support for holding the block against lateral and vertical displacement and permitting reciprocation thereof, a tube swivelled in the block, the block being formed with a groove and the tube with an aperture communicating with the groeve, the said swivelled tube having a distributing arm positioned to lie fluid under pressure to the groove of the parallel to the adjacent portions of the boiler block. lo so as to extend across the tubes thereof, the In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature distributing arm being adapted to swing 0n in presence of two witnesses.

the swivel for successively moving acrossV EDWARD C. HAFER. substantially all of the tubes of the boiler, the Witnesses: said arm having` discharge nozzle directed CHRISTIE H. FEsLER,

toward the boiler, and means for supplying J. J MAWHINNEY. 

